Time, Space and everything inbetween
by its-Rayning-men
Summary: Vala's always had strange dreams, what have they got to do with Daniel and what will she do when she learns the truth about who she really is? AU for S.10 Family Ties no longer fits. Doctor Who crossover 10th Doctor.
1. Falling

She fell.

In the darkness and silence she couldn't tell if she fell for a moment or an eternity, it felt like both.

Then suddenly it was over. She opened her eyes and squinted in the harsh sunlight, where was she? When was she? As more of the world came into focus she realised she was lying on golden sand not far from a river. Did she know this place? It felt familiar in some way. The world span beneath her but that was ok; she was used to feeling the turn of the worlds.

Exhaustion over took her aching body and her eyes fell shut. She never saw the two large men spot and make their way towards her.

As they approached her she tightened her grip around the object in her hand.

________________________________________________________________

Vala awoke with a start gripping the bed sheets. She'd had the dream again; the one where she was falling. At least she thought it was a dream, somehow it seemed more, almost like a memory. Shaking her head she looked over at the clock on the table, the time stared back at her mockingly, glaring at her in red light.

"No point in trying to going back to sleep now" she said out loud to herself. It was pointless to even try, she knew this from experience, even if it was only 05:30 Any other day she would have quite happily settled down for another 2 hours of sleep before getting up to go meet the rest of SG1 for breakfast. Not today, not after the dream.

As she got up and headed for the shower she tried to understand her dream. Ever since she had been freed from being a host she had it. It was always the same, she was falling and then she was on the sand, then nothing.

The dream made no more sense now than they had the last 100 times. Why was she falling? Why did the place she had landed feel so familiar? Even the meaning of her thoughts evaded her. "_When am I_?" what kind of question was that? Why did the spinning sensation beneath her feel so natural? Like breathing or the beating of her hearts? "_Hearts?_" Vala thought to herself "_definitely going wonko, it's really happening this time. What kind of stupid person thinks they have hearts; plural!_"

Drying her thick black hair Vala thought about the other recurring dream she had.

This one was different; instead of darkness there was fire, instead of silence screaming. These two dreams had plagued Vala in the ten years since she had been free. They were all she could remember of those first few days after Tok'ra liberated her, in the days when she couldn't even remember her own name.

Even more recently when Athena had kidnapped her and her memories had been erased she still had the dreams. Unlike the others during that time these were never tinged with lost memories.

Vala hit the on button on the stereo and allowed the music to wash over her as she dressed.

Were these two dreams memories? Vala had no memory of her life before Qetesh. Even her name had been given to her by the Tok'ra. Vala; a prophetess, a sign of things to come.

By the time she finished getting ready and had placed her hair in its trademark pig tails it was near the time she would normally meet SG1. Switching the music off and lifting her jacket she headed for the door. She paused briefly just before opening it, gripping the handle. Allowing her head to rest against the door Vala let out a long slow breath. Once she was sure she had her thoughts under control she plastered on a huge smile and opened the door.

Sam was already there when she arrived in the commissary; she had stayed in her lab all night working on a new project. Vala grabbed her usual breakfast; a bowl of fruit loops, a piece of fruit (banana today), toast (coated in about an inch of strawberry jam), a yogurt (strawberry again), juice and some coffee and sat down opposite Sam. Sam made no comment on Valas breakfast, she had long since given up wondering how Vala ate so much yet stayed so slim, and began to explain the problem she was having with her project.

They were still discussing it when Teal'c arrived, then Daniel and eventually Cam joined them.

They settled into their normal routine of banter and breakfast. Vala went back up for 3 more bowls of fruit loops and, as happened every day, stated that she had no idea why General O'Neill had any problem with them, Teal'c smirked and stayed silent.  
_____________________________________________________________

In the vortex the TARDIS twitched as a feeling niggled at the back of her mind, she tried to identify it for a moment and smiled to herself when she did. Then she started her search…

The outer spiral arm of the Milky Way, the Sol system, Earth, 2009AD, America, Colorado Springs, Stargate Command, Dr Daniel Jackson's office, the bottom drawer of the desk, under a pile of books and dust….

The pocket watch glowed bright gold for a moment and a pulse rippled through the air unnoticed.

The TARDIS hummed contentedly to herself, satisfied of a job well done.


	2. Finding

A/N: here's chapter 2. Thanks to everyone that commented on chapter 1 :)

I don't have a BETA so feel free to point out any errors in this (anyone wanting the job let me know)

This is all SG1 no D/W in this chap.

Disclaimer: The only thing I own of SG1 is all the DVDs; if I did own it then Vala would be in the next move. I don't own DW either although I do own action figures of 9, 10 and Rose.

Cameron Mitchell entered Dr Jackson's office t be greeted by dust. The air was full of it and Cameron had to cover his mouth to stop himself coughing too badly.

"Jackson! You in here?" Cameron managed to splutter.

There was a clatter then a thump followed by a rather irate Daniel sticking his head over the top of his desk to answer him.

"Jesus Cam you scared the crap out of me" Daniel told him while rubbing the top of his head where he had thwacked it off his desk.

"What's with all the dust? You begin your spring cleaning early this year?" Cam took in the room now that he was growing accustom to the faint haze the dust was producing. There where stacks of books and boxes of artefacts covering almost every surface.

"What? No I was looking for a book on ancient Mesopotamia and when I couldn't find it that got me thinking that I hadn't seen several other texts recently so I decided to restore some order to the place." at Cams incredulous look he added "It's a work in progress"

Cam watched as Daniel began to shuffle papers about on the desk in front of him and couldn't suppress the chuckle that rose in his chest when he noted that even though the rest of the office looked like a bomb had hit it, there was a pile of Vala's Cosmo magazines stacked neatly in the corner. They were arranged in chronological order.

"Did you come in here with a point or are you just going to stand there and laugh all day? What's so funny anyhow?" Daniel, while he enjoyed his friends company, was eager to get on with his 'cleaning'

Cam cleared his throat "Nothing Jackson, it doesn't matter. Sam, T and I were looking for a fourth to play some basketball with" He picked up the object closest to him on the desk and began to idly turn it over in his hand.

Daniel looked up from his shuffling "Why don't you go find Vala? I'm sure she could manage a game. Between her busy schedule of painting her nails and reading gossip rags she should be able to fit you in" Taking in what Cam was fiddling with he gave him a sharp look causing Cam to hand it over.

"I've been looking for Princess all morning" Cam shrugged "haven't seen her since breakfast"

"Oh, well I guess I could take a break for an hour or so. It is getting pretty dusty in here."

Cam gave him a wide grin "good, you can be on T's team."

Daniel gave the desk one last longing look and, deciding that he really did need a brake, put the pocket watch Cam had been handling down and followed his friend out.

____

4 year old Daniel Jackson loved Egypt.

He had spent most of his childhood here, surrounded by thousands of year's worth of history. When his parents where out on a dig he would go along and pretend he was an archaeologist too; digging his own small pits and looking for rocks.

His father always scolded him when he called them rocks, stating that they were important artefacts and that they could tell them a lot about the people that used to live here. Daniel would nod and tell his father that he understood but at 4 years old he just couldn't see how that was possible.

One day that changed. One day he found something in his little pretend dig site that would teach him that things buried in the sand could be important; very important.

He didn't know why but when he found the pocket watch he didn't go and show his parents like he usually would do with something he had dug up. Instead he shoved it into the pockets of his dungarees and didn't bring it out again until later that night.

Hiding under the blankets on his bed Daniel turned on his torch and looked at the watch.

The silver metal was smoother than anything he had ever held before and it was cold to touch. Daniel remembered that even in the scorching midday sun it had been cold. Nothing in the desert was cold. He traced his tiny podgy fingers over the intricate circles on the back of it, he had never seen anything like them before, and he could almost imagine that they were a language.

A jaw splitting yawn reminded him that it was well past his usual bed time so he switched off his torch and placed the watch under his pillow.

As 4 year old Daniel Jackson slept the watch whispered to him.

"_Keep me safe my Daniel, keep me with you and I'll look after you. Always." _

__

When Daniel was 8 his parents died and he was taken into foster care.

One of the few items he was able to take with him to his foster home was the watch.

At night when his dreams would begin to turn to nightmares the watch would sing to him, take his nightmares and turn them into such wondrous things. The voice of the watch would create images of another world; he could forget his grief for a time as he walked in forests of silver trees under a burnt orange sky. His pain would evaporate as it whispered to him and he saw twin suns rising over a great glass-domed city.

"_Sleep my Daniel, you are safe now"_

___

As Daniel grew the watch stayed with him but spoke to him less and less, or rather he heard it less and less. When he was a child and the magic of Egypt still enthralled him it was easy for the watch to speak to him, his young mind so open and accepting but as he grew his mind closed off. He still kept the watch with him but it no longer stayed under his pillow as it had when he was a child.

When he became a young man; his head was once again filled with Egypt but now his wonder was academic, not child like.

The night that he solved the puzzle of the cover stone was the first time he heard the watch for nearly 10 years. It warned him of danger but promised great things, adventures like he never knew he could have.

All his dreams would come true.

It didn't tell him that some of his nightmares would as well. It never told him the cost of getting everything you want.

Even as he prepared to go through the Gate for the first time he could not bring himself to leave the watch behind. Something inside him just couldn't let it go. It was as if they were bound together.

The years passed and the watch waited in the bottom drawer of his desk in the SGC, biding its time. It had known Daniel was special from the moment his 4 year old fingers had closed around it; it knew Daniel was the one to help it.

As he slept on his way to Atlantis (the first time) the watch whispered to him one last time.

"_You will find her as you found me my Daniel, one day you will be her constant as you are mine. You have saved us both. Keep her safe, keep her with you and look after her. Always."_


	3. Family

A/N: If you don't know the Who world then this is going to get pretty confusing but don't worry it will all be explained in time (after all SG1 doesn't know either)

All you really need to know for this chapter is that Rose used to Travel with the Doctor until she, and her mother, got sucked into a parallel version of earth and couldn't get back. The doctor did manage to find a tiny gap to send a message through; he was "Burning up a sun just to say good-bye".

Torchwood is an agency that investigates alien activity on earth and the rift is a rift in time and space that runs through Cardiff.

Thanks to everyone who Reviewed, I wasn't sure if anyone would want to read this let alone enjoy it, your great comments are a huge confidence boost.

Disclaimer: I don't own either show, if you think I do then you've got worse problems then I'm going to have when you sue me.

___

In the back of Rose Tyler's mind something stirred.

________________________________________________________________________

"Tony! Adam!" the exasperation was clear in Jackie Tyler's voice as she called on her two sons. "If you 2 don't hurry up you're going to be late for school. Again."

At 13 Tony seemed to be entering his moody teen-age phase early and so was not too excited about school; or anything else for that matter. Jackie could handle this; she had already raised one daughter and knew how to deal with moody teenagers.

Adam, while being 3 years younger, always had to copy his big brother. If Tony wanted something then Adam just had to have it too. If Tony decided he didn't want to do something anymore then Adam didn't want to do it either.

Tony's new aversion to school was no different.

"TONY, ADAM! If I have to come up there and get you there will be trouble" At this new call there was a bang as doors where shut and no more than 30 seconds later the boys were standing in front of her.

Jackie Tyler was definitely the disciplinarian in the house. The phrase 'Wait till your father gets home' held no weight.

"Right, that's better. Now here's your lunch. Go get your blazers then we can go."

There was an unintelligible grumble from Tony and a "yes mum" from Adam as the boys went to fetch their school blazers.

Jackie stuck her head round the kitchen door to see her husband reading the paper and finishing his coffee. "We're off now darlin', I'll see you when you get back tonight. Don't be late; Rose is coming back tonight" Pete nodded but didn't look up from his paper.

"Gotcha Jacks, Rose back, don't be late"

Jackie huffed and left to get the boys into the car. She didn't take it personally after 14 years of marriage in this world and 3 years in the other (to a different Pete) Jackie knew that her husband was not one for conversation in the mornings.

__

Rose sighed as she got off the zeppelin. It was good to be back in England.

Even after 14 years in this parallel world she still didn't think of it as home, home wasn't even her original Earth; home was the TARDIS.

It had been nearly six months since she had left.

She had been in America, the rift was acting up and she was the only one qualified to know how to even attempt to fix it. Instead of running through Cardiff, like it did on her original Earth, the one on this world ran through New York City. While it was normally dormant around 6 months ago the station set up to monitor it, which was hidden under the Statue of Liberty, had reported intermittent power spikes coming from it.

As the Torchwood 'Go To' woman Rose had been sent.

She was always sent when something more unusual than what Torchwood normally dealt with came up. While it might have been Torchwoods job to manage the Cardiff rift, the rift in this universe had never so much as made a peep so no one here knew how to deal with it.

She picked up her black hold all as she spotted the car that had been sent for her. The rest of her luggage would be collected and delivered straight to her flat. Getting into the car she greeted the driver, Freddie, and told him she'd like to stop for some chips on the way to the Tyler mansion.

__

When they pulled up in the drive way Rose sat in the car until she had finished the bag of chips (they were wrapped in proper newspaper and everything!) knowing that at some point she would have to get out and go into the house.

She was just about finished when the door flew open and a mass of brown hair launched itself at her. She caught the grinning Adam up into a huge hug.

"Rose! You're back!" the boy yelled in delight hugging his big sister.

Rose laughed and let him go as he reached for the chips on the seat beside her. "Had enough of mums cooking then have you?"

It was a point of some debate in the Tyler household that Jackie still did the cooking.

She said it was something to keep her down to earth when everything else in the house was done by a staff. Pete, Rose and the boys had tried for years to get her to hire a cook; telling her it was because she didn't have to do it but knowing the real reason was that she was terrible.

The boy nodded as he ate the last few chips from the bag.

"Right then, lets get inside. Thanks for the ride Freddy" Rose thanked the driver.

"No problem Miss Rose, it's my job after all" he said with a smile and a nod.

Inside the house Rose was greeted by hugs from her mother and Pete.

"Where's Tony?" Rose asked, noticing her other brothers' absence.

"He's in his room sulking" Jackie responded with a shake of her head "I'll go get him"

"No, let me, you guys go get ready for tea yeah?" her mother nodded and Rose set off up the stairs to find her missing brother.

When she got to his room the door was slightly ajar and she could see him lying on his bed listening to music. Rose considered her options then barged right in ignoring his cry of "Hey! Get out!"

Plopping down on the bed beside him Rose considered Tony while he glared at her.

When he was younger he had idolised Rose as his big sister. She would tell him stories of her travels with the Doctor and of all the places she had been. When Adam was old enough she had told them to him too, both of them sitting snuggled up next to her listening in amazement.

What had happened while she had been away? When she had talked to him last week he had been fine, telling her about how he hated school and that he fancied a girl in his year called Abby.

Rose prodded him in the side "Is that any way to great your wonderful big sister?" No response "What's got your knickers in a twist then?" Still nothing. "Fine be that way, hurry up mums nearly got tea on the table move it and get washed up"

She walked out of the room only pausing slightly at the door to make sure he actually did what he was told.

Dinner was filled with catching up on the last 6 months as everyone tried to look like they were eating, but not actually eat, Jackie's shepherds' pie. The only person who was quiet was Tony. Adam couldn't get enough of his big sister; to him she was still the coolest person on the planet.

It was just as desert was being served that everything hit the fan.

Rose was laughing at the gossip that Jackie was retelling "Mum! I can't believe you!"

Tony mumbled something under his breath, not so quietly that no one hared.

"What was that love?" Rose asked.

"Don't call her that" he repeated, a bit louder this time. "Don't call her mum!"

Pete looked over at his eldest son in concern while Rose and Jackie shared a look. Adam stared at them all in turn, completely bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

"What you on about Tony? Why shouldn't Rose call her mum?" Pete tried to work out what was going on in his sons mind.

"Shut up dad, you're just as bad. You lied to us! She's not our sister!" Tony's face was getting red with anger.

Jackie tried to calm him down "What do you mean sweetheart, of course Rose is your sister"

"No she isn't!" Tony was shouting in earnest now "I found the picture in the study when I was looking for my English homework. She's adopted! She's not our sister!"

"Tony, we explained this to you, remember about Rose and your mum being from a parallel world? I had to adopt Rose to make her my legal daughter but that doesn't mean she's not your sister." Pete explained. Wondering why this was being brought up now and what picture Tony was talking about.

"NO! Even back there she was! Look" Tony got up from his seat and ran out of the room.

"Jacks what's he on about?" Pete questioned his wife, seeing the look that was passed between her and Rose.

Jackie didn't get a chance to reply though as Tony came storming back into the room with a small photo; it was crinkled round the edges from age.

"See! Look, that's the other you and mum with Rose." He handed the picture to his father. "Look on the back" Pete turned it over.

On the back in Jackie's curvy hand writing was _'Rose, finally ours"_ and underneath it the date. In the photo Rose had to be around 6 months old.

"Jacks?" Pete was more than confused.

Jackie shook her head "Rose why don't you take the boys through to the front room, me and your dad need to speak in privet" Rose knowing that Adam at least shouldn't hear what was going to be said nodded and motioned of him to follow her.

"Tony you go to, up to your room, me and your mum need to talk" when Tony didn't look like he was going to move Pete snapped at him "Now Tony!"

The boy looked like he was about to argue about wanting to know the truth but saw the look on his fathers face, it was the one he rarely used at home, it was his Torchwood face. He left the room.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Rose." Jackie started after a few tense minuets of silence. "It was stupid I know but… I thought if you knew you wouldn't want her and no matter how much I wanted you if you didn't want Rose then I couldn't have stayed. I lost you once, I didn't want to do it again but I would have for her."

Pete considered what his wife had said.

Back in the beginning his and Roses relationship wasn't the best, it still wasn't if he was honest. She was a young woman when she came into his life properly, she didn't need a father. If he had known would it have changed his mind about legally adopting her? He thought for a minuet.

"It wouldn't have changed anything Jacks, even if she wasn't your biological daughter she was still your daughter."

She looked over at him apprehensively, biting down on her thumb nail.

"I'm not mad about this Jacks" he continued "About the fact you lied to me? Yeah. But not about what you lied about"

He walked over and gathered her in his arms, stroking her hair as she cried.

____

In the living room Rose was having a similar conversation with Adam.

"Are you really not my sister?" he was sitting on her lap looking up at her with large brown eyes.

"Yes I am Ads, no matter what I'll always be your big sister, nothings ever going to change that, ok?"

He nodded slightly, his eyes still unsure "But if you're adopted that means mum and dad aren't your mum and dad"

"They are Ads, just because I'm adopted doesn't change that" She wasn't going to get into her issues with Pete. "Families too important to be left up to biology, it's the family that we make for ourselves that matters. Do you understand?"

Another nod "I think so" he wrapped his arms around her just like he had in the car and hugged her. "Love you Rose" he whispered in her ear.

"Love you too Ads" she replied. It was when she looked up that she noticed Tony standing by the door. "Do you understand?" she asked him.

He didn't reply but came into the room and sat down beside them, all three of them squashed into a large arm chair.

"Tell us about the time you went to ancient Rome" Adam asked.

So she did. Then she told them another story, and another.

She loved her little brothers so much.

It was going to hurt when she told them she had to go.

________________________

In the back of Rose Tyler's mind something stirred and woke up.


	4. Friends

A/N: Back to the SGC, here's chapter 4

I don't own them, i'm just taking them out to play with the other kiddies.

___

When the dream came again Vala was off world. This time it was of the war she couldn't remember fighting.

SG1 was on an exploration mission to an uninhabited planet. There didn't even seem be any animal life on it. They were camping over night in a clearing surrounded by large trees; their leaves just beginning to turn red but it was still warm enough that they could camp under the stars.

Some one was shaking her.

"Vala, Vala wake up" it was Daniel's hushed voice that woke her.

As she became more aware she opened her eyes and saw the red leaves.

_The southern sun burst over the horizon and lit up the forest in front of her. The silver trees looked like they had been set alight. _

"_One day they really will be" she thought._

The flash was gone as soon quickly as it came all that was left was Daniel looking at her with worried blue eyes.

"Are you ok? You looked like you were having a pretty bad dream"

Vala brushed him off. "It was nothing" she looked over at where the others were sleeping on the other side of the fire.

_There were flames all around her, the entire planet was burning_

She shook her head to clear it of the vision and Daniel grew more concerned.

"Was it about Qetesh?" Daniel knew that since the incident with Athena Vala's memories of her time as a host had been more vivid.

Vala didn't answer, just stared into the fire; she had never had visions while awake before. She had been having the dreams more often recently and they had become more detailed. Even now she could hear the screaming.

"Silver trees" It was so quiet that Daniel almost didn't hear her, "there were silver trees, gold too"

"Is that what you were dreaming about?" Daniel remembered his own dreams as a child, with the forests of silver trees.

Vala's nod was so tiny he almost missed it in the low light. "They were burning, the whole planet was burning. There was a war… I think, I don't remember. I can never remember"

She still hadn't looked away from the fire, entranced by the flames.

She didn't realise she was shivering until Daniel draped the blanket around her shoulders.

"I used to dream of a forest with silver trees too" he told her in a soft voice, thinking that if he shared his dreams with her she might open up more. "It seemed to go on forever. In the sun it would look like the forest was burning but at night, in the moons light…"

"…it was as if it was frozen" Vala finished for him.

"Yeah, yeah it was." Just when he thought she wasn't going to say anything else she spoke again.

"Why is it so quiet?" Her voice sounded so innocent and lost, like a child. When she turned and looked at him he was taken aback at how old and tired her eyes looked.

"There's nothing on this planet except us, there's nothing to make any noise" but this didn't seem to be the answer she was expecting. She sighed softly and turned her gaze back to the fire.

"Go back to sleep darling, I'll take the rest of the watch for the night"

He simply shook his head in reply. He had never seen her like this before, she seemed so vulnerable, and world weary. It was a stark contrast to her usual fun loving, care free attitude and Daniel didn't know if he would ever see it again; or if he wanted to.

As they sat there Vala began to hum to herself. Daniel recognised the song but couldn't place it, it was soft and comforting, almost like a lullaby.

Daniel drifted off into the most peaceful sleep he had had since he was a child.

___

They were on the planet for 4 more days. Daniel tried several times to talk to her about her dream but Vala wasn't having any of it.

The rest of the team had noticed the slight tension between the two but didn't comment. They had all learned by now that you didn't get in the middle of whatever Daniel and Vala happened to be arguing about.

However this didn't seem like a normal argument. Usually an argument involved them sniping at each other for the day but they would be back to there usual selves by the next, they would still be sniping but the edge would be gone. After all they wouldn't be them if they weren't.

Instead of Daniel trying to ignore Vala and her getting under his feet all the time this time it seemed to be Vala doing the ignoring.

When it came time to gate home Sam, Teal'c, and Cam were more than ready.

They stepped through the worm whole on to the metal ramp and were greeted by Gen. Landry's booming voice.

"Welcome back SG1; Report to the infirmary then hit the showers, debriefing in 2 hours."

"Hot showers!" Cam exclaimed, a grin on his face, he was looking forward to that; they had been on the planet for almost a week and all he wanted to do was have a hot shower and sleep in his own bed.

Sam grinned and, after handing over her P-90, followed him out of the gate room.

___

Vala didn't appear for breakfast the next morning, or lunch. When no one had seen her by dinner Sam went in search of her.

She looked in all of Vala's usual haunts but couldn't find her. When she went to check her quarters for the second time Sam heard a muffled scream come from within.

"Vala! Vala, I'm coming in" Sam was genuinely worried about her friend; she had been distant since the first night they had spent on the forest world. Using her key card to gain access to the room Sam went in.

When Sam shut the door the room was in total darkness and Sam had to be careful on her way over to the bed. She had been in Vala's room often enough that she didn't really need light to cross it but Vala wasn't the tidiest person and there was often piles of things on the floor.

Switching on the bed side lamp Sam sat on the bed next to Vala but she didn't show any sign of waking. She took in her friends' appearance; she looked to be having a nightmare; her face screwed up and sweat had plastered her hair to her forehead. There where faint track marks on her cheeks where she had been crying in her sleep.

"Vala…Vala come on wake up" Sam called to her softly, stroking her hair back from her face. Vala struggled, trying to fight off the touch but Sam persisted, after a few minuets of this Vala woke up.

The haunted look in Vala's eyes was one Sam would never forget.

"They died, they all died and I… I didn't, why did I survive? Why was I the only one?"

Sam wasn't sure if her friend was talking to her or herself, so she just continued to gently stroke Vala's hair and let her friend talk out what ever she had been dreaming of.

"It's so quiet now, so still… I don't understand, I can't remember…I don't know what I'm saying, I never know what I'm saying" Vala sounded so broken that Sam had to suppress her own tears.

Then she turned those haunted eyes on Sam, as if noticing her for the first time. There was despair in them that Sam had never seen before, in anyone, it was as if something had stung her very soul, a hurt that went so deep yet couldn't be seen.

Vala took a deep breath and her whole body seemed to shudder. Sam noted that she looked so much tinier than usual, huddled under her duvet like a frightened child.

With Sam's voice murmuring words of comfort Vala gradually began to calm down. When she had calmed enough Sam got up and fetched a glass of water for her, making Vala sit up to drink it.

"What was it about?" Sam asked softly after several minuets of silence. She knew she had to be careful, she didn't want Vala to close up.

Leaning her head against Sam's shoulder Vala took another deep breath before answering. "I don't…" she faltered "I don't know… there was a war, a terrible war, and the planet was burning…" she trailed off into silence.

"Was it a memory?" Sam questioned gently, "It seemed a bit to intense to be a dream."

Vala's brows knitted together as she tried to gather her thoughts. "Maybe… I think so… but I can't remember. It was so long ago. I've almost forgotten that I've forgotten who I was." a weariness that hadn't been there before crept into her voice as she continued "Trapped in the darkness for so long, you forget what light is."

She paused, as if considering continuing, giving a small nod to her self she told Sam the truth. "I don't remember who I was before Qetesh. Not my name or where I'm from, nothing. It's all gone."

Not knowing what to say Sam didn't say anything, she simply pulled her friend closer offering comfort in another way. Sam knew she could at least do something to take Vala's mind off of her dreams, so she carefully got up and turned on the TV placing a DVD in. Coming back over to the bed this time she lay down on the other side beside Vala and hit the play button.

___

The end credits of 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' were playing when Cam knocked on the door and, upon receiving the ok to enter, stepped in. He took in the two female members of his team; laying on the bed, eyes rimmed with tears and Vala's emergency supply of chocolate between them.

He gave Sam a questioning look; they had all been worried about Vala this afternoon. Her small nod in return was all he needed to know that she had found out what had been wrong, if it was important she would tell him. Knowing things with Vala were sorted out he gave them a broad grin and announced:

"Pack you're Bags, we're going to Egypt!"


	5. Fundamentals

"Egypt?" Sam questioned.

"Yup." Cams grin was threatening to split his face in two.

"Cameron, are you just going to stand there grinning like an idiot all day or are you going to tell us why?" Vala's mood may have improved some what during the movie but that didn't mean she was up for Cam's games.

"Well princess, some aspiring archaeologists have dug up what looks to be part of a cargo ship, so we get to go investigate."

"It wouldn't be the first one that was left behind" Sam pointed out.

"Exactly! So we get to go on a little field trip." Cam clapped his hands together, spun on his heals and left the room, calling over his shoulder "The Daedalus is going to transport us. You've got 2 hours."

When he left Sam turned to Vala, "Are you sure you're up to going?" she was really worried about her friend.

While they had been watching the movie Vala had explained a bit more about her dreams, not the content but about the history she had with them. Vala hadn't told her about the visions she had been having while she was awake, she didn't want Sam to think she was going wonko, especially when she wasn't sure herself.

"I'm sure I'll be fine Samantha, it's never been this bad before there's no reason to think that it will be again." Vala tried to assure her friend, mentally crossing her fingers.

Sam looked doubtful but at Vala's pleading look she relented "O.k. but you have to talk to someone about it if it does happen again, agreed?" she knew that if it was this bad again Dr Lam and Gen. Landry would have to be informed, but for now she was willing to keep it as a team matter.

"Thank you." Vala's smile was grateful before it changed into something cheekier "Now come on we only have 2 hours before we leave and I need to get ready so shoo!"

Sam smiled and shook her head as she left the room, glad to see that at least some of her friends' spirit had returned. The empty look in her eyes was something Sam never wanted to see again.

------------

­­­­­­­­­­If there was one word Cameron Mitchell could use to sum up the Egyptian summer it would be 'hot'.

In fact 'hot' didn't cover it, 'blazing hot' didn't do it any justice either. Nope, Cam was thinking that this heat was someplace in-between 'boiling lava' and 'raging inferno'.

Even the slight breeze coming off the river didn't help cool the air; it seemed to only make the heat come at you in small waves.

Cam was not impressed.

Daniel, a bandana tied round his head, felt right at home. It had been a number of years since he had been to Egypt and he was glad to be back. He looked around, a memory flaring in his head:

_He was digging away with his small shovel, he had gotten pretty deep this time, and the whole was almost up to his shoulders. Suddenly his face lit up as he saw the sun glint off something shiny in the sand._

He smiled wistfully as he remembered his first real find. He hadn't gotten round to putting it away after his 'spring cleaning', it was still sitting on the desk in the middle of his office where Cam had left it before their basketball game.

The team walked over to where the ship had been unearthed.

Once it was clear that it was in fact a cargo ship, the archaeologists had been moved out and team from the Daedalus had been sent down to dig the rest of it up. It was now up to SG1 to see if it was serviceable.

Cameron and Teal'c, with the aid of a crowbar, managed to get the doors open. The air inside the ship was cool and stale, the whole place looked lifeless and not even the bright sun coming through the windows could brighten it up.

"Right, Vala and I will go check the engines and Daniel and Teal'c can see if they can find out who this belonged to, agreed?" The other three nodded their heads at Sam and started off to do the jobs assigned.

Cam stood in a suddenly empty entrance way…

"I'll just… go do a… thing…"

_______

4 hours later Cam was sitting sunning himself on a small dune near to the river when suddenly a shadow was cast over him.

It was Vala.

She plonked herself down beside him and slid her sunglasses up into her hair which had been scraped up off of her shoulders and neck. At some point over the last few hours she had shed her jacket and boots and socks. Cam couldn't blame her, he had done the exact same thing, the oppressive heat becoming just too much to bare. He gave a small laugh as he noted she had rolled her trousers up to the knees.

Looking over at her Cam decided this was a good a time as any to talk to her about what had happened today. He and Sam had only spoken about it briefly, they hadn't had much time and Sam had wanted to protect her friends' privacy as much as possible. Even though Sam had assured him that Vala was ok to come with them he still had her doubts.

He took the plunge, "Listen princess, I talked with Sam and I got to say I'm more than a little worried 'bout you."

"I can do my job just fine Cameron" she snapped back, then in a softer tone added, "There's really no need for your concern."

"No, Vala, I know you can do your job, I meant I'm worried about _you._ You haven't been yourself for almost a week now and don't think I didn't notice that you haven't been sleeping like you aught to." She looked slightly taken a back but by his tone or his appraisal of her he didn't know.

Vala wouldn't look at him; she simply stared out at something across the river and buried her feet deeper into the sand, letting it sink between her toes.

Now Cam was even more worried.

This wasn't how Vala reacted.

Vala fought back when you confronted her on something personal, she made sarcastic comments, and told you some long winded tale that, Cam usually hoped, wasn't true, she flung innuendos at you and confused you into submission. She did _not _sit there and look like you had just kicked her puppy.

Cam reached out to wrap an arm around her but she screamed in terror as it brushed across the back of her exposed neck.

_She was lying on her stomach tied down to a table, from what she could tell she was naked. A woman she couldn't see was standing over her, all she could see was her exposed stomach, slim and tanned with a large X shaped wound on it._

_Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath she tried to remember where she was but nothing came, panic started to well up inside her but she fought to push it down as she realised it wasn't only where she was that she couldn't remember._

_Then she saw it._

_The wound on the woman's stomach opened and a snake like creature slithered out and on to her back. _

_People where chanting something in the back ground but she couldn't hear them as panic gave way to shear terror and she started to fight against the bonds restraining her. _

_One voice managed to penetrate her clouded mind. It was deeper than any she had heard before._

"_She is a fighter my queen, she shall make an excellent host." The voice was laughing but it sounded cold and distorted._

_The snake continued its way up her back and she felt her hair being swept to the side._

_There was an explosion of pain as it broke the skin and burrowed into her neck._

_The world went black._

The whole scene passed in front of her eyes in seconds but when her vision once again returned outward she saw Cams worried eyes searching hers, his hands on her shoulders shaking her.

The scream had caused the others to leave the cargo ship and run towards where they were sitting; instead of the attack they were expecting the saw a visibly shaken Cam holding a physically shaking Vala.

As they made their way over they saw Vala shake Cam off, stand and walk unsteadily over to the rivers edge. Teal'c helped Cam up and they followed her to the bank.

On the other side of the river and some distance to the north the ancient Pyramids could just be made out. Vala seemed to be staring at them, transfixed.

"This is it." Her voice seemed to tremble as much as her body was. "This is where they made me a host…"

Slowly she sank down onto her knees, bowed her head and cried silent tears.

Daniel sat down next to her and scooped her up into his lap, ignoring her resistance and held her until she gave up and clung to him like she would never let go.

Cam, Teal'c and Sam stood behind them, outlined against the top of the dune, like silent sentinels, watching their friend crumble before their eyes.


	6. Fighting

A/N: Thanks to everyone who had reviewed so far, you're comments have been wonderful. Keep them coming, there really helping.

Anyone that hasn't, please do. I would love to know what you think.

Acer – the ship didn't belong to Vala or Qetesh, I was just using it as a handy plot devise to get them all to Egypt.

­I still don't have a BETA, anyone wanting the job let me know.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it, except the idea, but maybe for my birthday…

______

Teal'c radioed the Daedalus and, after assuring them that no one was injured and giving a brief report of their assessment of the cargo ship they were all beamed back to the SGC.

They materialised in the briefing room, and received a startled look from Gen. Landry when as took in his lead team.

Carter and Mitchell both looked visibly quite upset, even Teal'c was looking concerned but there was a protective edge to his gaze, which was locked on the strangest thing of all.

Dr Jackson was standing with Vala curled up in his arms, one arm under her knees and the other supporting her back, like one might do with a child.

The report from the Daedalus hadn't mentioned anyone being injured, and if they were they would have been sent straight to the infirmary, not the briefing room. Landry's confusion only increased when he noticed that Vala had obviously been crying and that Col. Carter looked on the verge of tears as well.

"What the hell happened? This was supposed to be a simple mission to assess the cargo ship and deem if it was eligible for salvage." His tone was more bewildered than angry.

Cam gave a sigh and took the general to one side to explain what had happened.

Even at this late hour, or early depending on your outlook, the SGC was still active and their sudden appearance was going to be gossip enough, Cam didn't want this whole situation talked about like that.

This was Vala. She was a part of SG1, part of their team; their family.

Landry seemed to pale slightly at Col. Mitchell's story but quickly nodded his head and turned back to the rest of the group.

He smiled slightly at what he saw; Dr Jackson was still holding Vala, Col. Carter was stroking her friends hair trying to offer what comfort she could and Teal'c seemed to be standing guard.

"Go, sort this out, take care of her, I'll let Dr Lam know what's going on, she may want to take a look at Vala when she gets in." As the group headed out the door Landry shook his head and sighed, this was going to be a bad day, he could tell, and it was only just starting.

He would later realise how true his words where.

___________

When they got to Vala's room Daniel placed her gently on the bed then he and Cam left while Sam, with some assistance from Teal'c, got Vala changed.

Trying to get most of the sand cleared off of her and get her into some sleep ware was made more difficult by the fact that Vala was almost completely unresponsive. She was as limp as a rag doll and if it weren't for Teal'c holding her up she would have simply fallen over.

The only noise she made the whole time had been a small whimper of protest as Daniel had put her down.

While the others were making Vala more comfortable Daniel and Cam nipped down to the mess hall and picked up some snacks and bottled water, they had a feeling that they were going to be in Vala's room for the long haul.

On the way back Daniel went into his lab and retrieved the pocket watch from his desk. Cam gave him a questioning look but he simply shrugged, he didn't know why he had done it either.

When they got back to her room they found Sam sitting beside Vala, brushing out her thick black hair.

Daniel sat down on Vala's bed on the other side while Teal'c and Cam took the floor at the end of the bed. Sam stayed sitting next to her, running her hands through her hair even though all the tangles had long since gone.

Vala slept.

The rest of SG1 waited; holding their own, privet, silent, vigil.

________

When Dr Carolyn Lam arrived on base and was informed of what happened she made her way straight to Vala's quarters. She knocked on the door and Col. Mitchell stepped out.

He looked like he had aged 10 years since she had seen him at lunch yesterday.

He quietly told her that Vala hadn't woken up yet but that when she did he would let her know.

Looking at his face she knew that asking to go in and see Vala herself would be a wrong move. Instead she simply told him to let her know if Vala's sleep became restless or she seemed to be in any other sort of trouble.

He simply gave her a curt nod of the head before he went back inside the room.

__________

_The darkness was smothering her, she couldn't move, couldn't breathe, and couldn't see._

_But she knew she had to stay here, this was her safe place, if she didn't stay here it would find her. _

_She could feel the other mind pressing in against hers, searching for her, trying to force her out so it could torture by allowing her to see the world out side her own mind._

_A world of death and pain._

_She tried to make herself smaller; maybe if she tried hard enough she would just fade away…_

Vala woke, gasping for breath.

Someone put there hands on her back and rub soothing circles on it. Eventually her breathing began to return to normal and she looked around to see that it was Teal'c who had been helping her. As she became more aware she saw the rest of her team in her room as well.

They were all asleep.

"Thank you, muscles." Vala's voice was husky from sleep and crying.

"There is no need my friend, are you calm now?" his deep baritone voice was soothing.

She nodded and closed her eyes again. "Teal'c?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know the song of Rochas?"

Teal'c smiled, knowing what she wanted; he often used to sing it to his son when he was small. "Indeed I do, sleep and be content Vala Mal Doran."

Teal'c quietly began to sing the ancient song as Vala drifted once again into sleep.

­­­­­­­­­­Eventually even Teal'c closed his eyes and slept.

__________

None of SG1 where awake to see the faint golden light coming from Daniels pocket, a tendril of it slipping out and making its way to Vala. It seemed to hover over her sleeping form for a moment before descending into her.

She glowed briefly and then it was gone.

__________

When Vala woke again the rest of SG1 where talking around her in hushed voices.

It was who Teal'c that noticed first that she was awake.

"Good morning Vala Mal Doran"

Vala didn't respond, she simply crawled out of the bed and, stepping over Cameron to get to Teal'c, wrapped her arms around his neck. The large Jaffa hesitated for a moment before returning the embrace.

"Thank you." She whispered before letting him go. He gave her a small nod of the head in return.

"I had better go tell Carolyn that you've come back to the land of the living, she was pretty worried about you." Cam gave her a light pat on the shoulder and made his exit.

"General Landry should be informed of events as well" Teal'c was next to make a swift get away.

Vala's suspicions about one of them wanting to talk to her in privet were confirmed when Sam declared that she would go and get them all something from the mess.

Sam's nod to Daniel as she left the room wasn't exactly subtle either.

"Is this the point where I'm supposed to pour my heart out to you Daniel?" she asked, her earlier mood evaporating in an instant, sarcasm dripped off her voice. "What do you want me to say?"

"Why didn't you just tell us?" Daniels tone was gentle, he knew Vala was on the emotional edge at the moment and anything could push her over it.

"Because in case you haven't noticed Daniel it's not exactly something I like to talk about! It's not exactly a good conversation opener; 'by the way did you know I was a host to a sex goddess for several millennia and have absolutely no idea who I was before that?' It doesn't exactly flow off the tongue darling."

Tension was beginning to build up inside her and she began to pace the room. Aside from that Daniel saw something else in her eyes: guilt.

"You do know it wasn't you're fault, don't you?"

"What?" She hadn't been expecting his sudden change of tact.

"It wasn't you're fault that you became a host." Daniel clarified. "I know you Vala, if you're anything you're a fighter. You would have done everything you could, even after you were taken. I bet you gave Qetesh her share of headaches."

This seemed to be exactly the wrong thing to say.

Vala fell off that emotional cliff she had been hanging from and exploded.

"I didn't fight her Daniel, that's the point!" Vala was gesticulating wildly with her hands now "Don't stand there and tell me that you're sure I did everything I could, that I must have put up a good fight because I didn't! I hid! I burred myself so deep in my mind that Qetesh couldn't find me, I thought that maybe if I made my consciousness small enough I might just fade away." She practically spat the words at him. "You don't know _me_."

Daniel knew what she was doing, attacking him because it was the best way to defend herself from a conversation she didn't want to have.

"Maybe if you _talked_ about something for once then I _would_ know. You keep every thing so hidden beneath this veneer of … of perkiness! No one ever sees the real you!"

"I can't…" her voice was quiet and had lost its earlier venom but as she continued it gained strength "I've wanted more than anything to finally know who I was, who I _am_, where I come from. There have been times when it was the only reason I kept going, I couldn't just stop and give in because what if tomorrow was the day that something changed? But at the same time I am so absolutely terrified of finding out…"she was nearly shouting at him by the end, not out of anger, but from sheer desperation. Daniel had to understand, _he had to_.

"I've seen what happens to people who get everything they want Daniel; they lose it." she gave a mirthless chuckle and Daniel winced at the harsh noise "Nothing's ever free. There's always a price to pay, and it's almost always something you thought you would never be able to give up." What little anger she had left her voice, even the bitterness had gone, all that was left was a bone deep weariness.

Suddenly it hit Daniel, even though he had thought about what Vala had done to survive, he had never really thought about the toll it must have taken on her; the obvious psychological issues, yes, but not the more emotional issues. How much had she sacrificed to remain free after Qetesh? Daniel was only now beginning to grasp how much it might have been.

Vala sat down on the edge of the bed all her previous energy evaporated. "I'm old Daniel, so much older than I was ever meant to be. I used to be young once and so full of mercy. After Qetesh I thought that I could help the Tok'ra but they wanted me to have another snake in my head and one was enough for a life time, so I left them, thinking I could help others. I soon learned how harsh the universe could be, so I became hard, and took what I wanted because so much had been taken from me."

At Daniels questioning look she shook her head, clearly she wasn't sharing any more today.

"I don't know how much longer I can do this Daniel, I was Qetesh longer than I will ever be Vala and I don't remember who I was before that. I'm lost and I can't find the way back home"

"A man falls in a hole."

Vala gave Daniel an odd look at the sudden change of subject but he gives her a look that says 'humour me' so she listens

"A man falls in a hole and the sides are so steep that he can't climb out.

A doctor walks past the top of the hole and the man says 'hey doc can you help me, I'm stuck in this hole and can't climb out' but the doctor just writes a prescription and throws it down the hole.

A while later a priest walks past and the man shouts 'Father, can you help me out, I'm trapped down here' but the priest simply writes him a prayer and throws it in the hole.

Eventually a friend walks past and he shouts up 'hey Joe I've fallen down this hole and I can't get out on my own'. Joe jumps down in the hole beside him and the man say 'what did you do that for? Now we're both trapped down here' Joe just looks at his friend and tells him 'yeah, we're both down here, but I've been stuck in this hole before and I know the way out'"

Vala looked at him, confusion still clearly still written across her face.

"You might be trapped in this hole Vala, but the rest of us are down there with you, and we know the way out."


	7. Fables

A/N: the first half of this chapter is just to clear up the story a bit so everyone (readers and characters) is clear on the back story. The second half… well you'll need to read and find out.

Once again, thanks to everyone who's been reviewing. Glad you are all enjoying the team aspect of this. I know I said it was going to be a D/V fic and it IS. It is just going to take some time as I'm not done loading the emotional problems onto Vala yet.

Forgot to say, I didn't make up the story that Daniel tells Vala at the end of the last chapter, I heard it on The West Wing episode 'Noël'.

Normal Disclaimer applies, if you think I own this you're clearly mental.

Please review, I love to know what you guys are thinking and guessing.

­­­______

They were sitting on the bed in silence when the others arrived back with General Landry and Dr Carolyn Lam.

After Carolyn gave Vala a quick once over Gen. Landry took control of the situation. Deciding that Vala's quarters where a much more appropriate place for this discussion then the briefing room everyone got situated.

Sam once again took her place at Vala's side, sitting next to her on the bed, while Cam and Teal'c remained standing; close enough to offer comfort if it was needed but far enough away that Vala wouldn't feel confined. Gen. Landry and Carolyn took the two remaining seats in the, now slightly over crowded, room.

It was Gen. Landry that was the first to speak. "Just start from the beginning Vala, take all the time you need."

The room was once again silent, the air tense, as Vala collected her thoughts. When she spoke it was almost to herself rather than the rest of the room.

"The war… yes the war came first. I don't know why we were fighting or who…"

"…_Time War…"_

The voice barley registered in her mind, no more than a whisper. "The planet was burning. All I could hear was screaming and pain… so much pain… raging its way through my head but there was something else… a heart beat?"

"…_It gives life to us all…"_

By this time Vala's voice had gained some strength but still no one dared interrupt her. "Then… then I was falling. I don't know how long I fell for. I fell through nothing; there was no sound, no light, no feeling. When it stopped I was so exhausted. I couldn't move, couldn't even open my eyes, I could feel sand beneath me and the sun beating down on me. There was something clutched in my hand it was important…

"… _It was you…"_

"… I knew no matter what I had to keep it with me but I didn't… I wish I knew what it had been. I know now where and when I was but I didn't then. It was almost exactly where we were yesterday…

"…_We were exactly where we had to be…"_

"… The next thing I remember I was being prepared for implantation. Then there was nothing. I hid myself from Qetesh, deep inside my own mind. From time to time she would try and force me out, try to make me witness the horror and the violence but she rarely managed. When the Tok'ra rescued me they gave me my name, they said I was the first of many to come. I had been hidden for so long that it took them weeks to get me to come out of my own mind, to interact with the world again. They had to teach me how to live, how to walk and talk, I couldn't do anything for myself. It had been so long since I was free that I had forgotten how. They offered me a place with them, when I was strong enough, but I couldn't… have one of those beings in my head again. When I declined the Tok'ra and I departed company. That was almost 10 years ago now."

An audible gasp from Carolyn was the first noise anyone in the room had made since Vala had started speaking. Vala gave her a sardonic grin.

"Doesn't look like it does it? I had no past but I could make my own future. I did what I had to do to survive. When all you have is the clothes on your back you have to learn quickly, and I did. I fought when I had to and learned that sometimes _not_ fighting one day meant I would be alive the next. I did so many things… but I survived. There where times when I just wanted to lye down, just stop completely but then I would think 'what if tomorrow is the day I remember?'…"

Vala's monologue was interrupted again as a golden flash emitted from Daniels pocket. As everyone turned to look at it they saw a tendril seep and cover Vala, making her glow briefly before melting into her.

"What the hell!" Cam was the first one to react but the others quickly followed, expressing their remarks along the same vain.

Daniel pulled the watch out his pocket and everyone could see that it was glowing steadily now as Vala reached her hand towards it the watch began to glow brighter and pulsate. She stopped her hand a fraction of an inch before touching it.

"Dr Jackson, what is that?" It was Gen. Landry's commanding tone that cut through the noise in the room.

"It is, was, just a broken watch. I found it when I was young… I dug it up out of a sand pit."

"You didn't think there was anything odd about the fact that it was _glowing_?"

"Cam! You where holding it the other day, did look like it was glowing then? It's never done this before, granted it's always been a bit… strange, but it's definitely never glowed."

Vala still hadn't said a word; she was transfixed by the watch. She recognized the intricate circles engraved on the back of it but didn't know how. They where a language…

"…_our name…"_

Vala realised now that the soft voice she had been hearing had been coming from the watch. It was familiar, almost… yes, it was her voice.

Everyone was still arguing and trying to work out what was going on, only Teal'c had his attention on Vala.

"Vala Mal Doran, I do not think that would be a wise choice"

But he was too late. Vala had all ready stretched her hand out the rest of the way and touched the watch. All eyes turned towards her and the room fell silent as the golden glow enveloped Vala, the circuit complete.

As she opened the watch the glow increased until it was so blinding everyone had to shield their eyes. Light seemed to pour out of Vala, she looked like she was burning.

Then it was over and she collapsed to the floor.

­­­Carolyn immediately went into doctor mode and called for an emergency medial team. She checked Vala's pulse but it seemed to be out of sync, one beat to close to the last then the next too far apart. Her breathing was shallow but other than being unconscious she could find no other visible signs of harm.

When the medical team arrived Vala was loaded onto a gurney and whisked away.

­­­­­-------

It was almost an hour before Carolyn excited the infirmary.

The rest of SG1 and Gen. Landry where sitting waiting on her. She sighed, she really wasn't sure what to make of her findings, even after hearing Vala's full history.

"Carolyn? What's happening has she woken up?" It was Sam that spoke for the group.

"Honestly I'm not sure. When she first collapsed I tried to take her pulse but I couldn't feel it correctly. When I got her hooked up to the ECG at first I thought I was seeing some kind of feed back so we performed an ultrasound" She paused to make sure that everyone was following and that she had their full attention. When she was sure she had she continued. "The ultrasound showed that, well simply put, Vala now has 2 hearts. That's not all…"

"Not all? You mean apart from somehow growing a second heart?" Cam seemed to be in shock.

"Yes Colonel. She also has highly elevated neurological-activity, but I still can't work out why she is still unconscious."

"Can we go in and see her?" It was the first time Daniel had spoke since Vala had begun to glow.

"I don't see any reason why not, we still have a few additional tests to run but at the moment it's fine."

Daniel went to step into the privet room Vala was in but was stopped by the voice of Gen. Landry. "Actually Dr Jackson I want you and Col. Carter to go over every detail of that watch, anything you can remember about it might shine some light on the situation. Teal'c and Col. Mitchell can stay with Vala." Sam and Daniel nodded and set off for Sam's lab.

______

After 5 hours they had still found nothing, the watch casing was empty and it was giving off no energy at all. As far as they could tell it was now nothing more than a broken pocket watch.

Deciding to call it a night for the moment they went and joined Cam and Teal'c by Vala's bedside.

For the second time that day SG1 kept watch as Vala slept.

______

"DOCTOR WHAT'S GOING ON!" Donna had to yell across the control room to be heard over the ruckus the TARDIS was making.

"I HAVE NO IDEA, SHE JUST TOOK OFF." The Doctor honestly had no clue what was happening, one moment the TARDIS was floating in the vortex the next she had took off like a cork out of a bottle.

Suddenly TARDIS came to a stop.

"Where are we Doctor?" The red head asked.

He gave her one of those grins that made her think he was more than a little bit soft in the head.

"No idea; lets go find out"

With that he grabbed his long brown coat and flung open the TARDIS doors.

The Doctor wished that the sight that greeted them was one he didn't see often. Unfortunately it was. There where armed soldiers, all pointing their guns in his direction.

The man who seemed to be in charge, there were Colonels insignia on his shoulders, was tall with short dark brown hair.

"Who are you, what is that and how did you get in here?" he demanded.

"I'm the Doctor" he grinned "when you say 'what is that' do you mean this blue box or my companion here?" Donna just rolled her eyes and smacked him gently on the back, she would get him back properly for that remark later. "As for how we got in here well we just sort of stopped… where is here anyway? Who are all you lot?"

"I'm Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell, and as for where you are, you're in the infirmary of Star Gate Command."

"oh." It was only then that the Doctor did look around the rest of the room and sure enough there was a woman lying on a bed hooked up to a variety of different monitors. She looked familiar, very familiar. If it was who he thought it was, the chances of her being there where astronomical…­­­


	8. Facts

A/N: ok so this should hopefully answer a lot of your questions, not all mind you, it is very much all about the DW world. For those that aren't DW fans I've tried to explain everything as clearly as possible but if there's anything you don't get let me know.

Enjoy! Let me know what you think.

Disclaimer; neither of these shows are mine, I'm just putting them in the blender to see what comes out…

__________________________________________________________________

"Doctor? What's wrong?" Donna was worried, not only where the solders still pointing their weapons at them but the Doctor looked like he had seen a ghost.

"That's… that's impossible! She should be dead!" he was staring at the prone Vala lying on the bed.

Cam noticed where his gaze was directed and gave Teal'c the smallest of nods. Teal'c immediately moved to block the Doctors line of vision, shielding Vala.

"Lieutenant, escort out _guests_ to a holding cell. Keep them secure until we find out who they are and why their here." Cam ordered.

As the Lieutenant, and a few Airmen, stepped forward to take the Doctor and Donna into custody. The Doctor seemed to snap out of the trance he was in.

"Hang on, hang on. Star Gate Command, that's Earth right? USAF?" he had to keep them from locking him and Donna away and he knew exactly how to do it.

At Cams nod he continued "Call U.N.I.T they know me, I've worked with them before. Then once you've confirmed that tell then to send Martha Jones."

"We'll contact U.N.I.T Doctor but for the time being you're gonna have to go into an interview room at least. We can't leave you unsupervised." Cam still had his doubts but U.N.I.T was a top secret Earth based organization. The fact that this man even had knowledge of it was enough to convince him to verify his claim.

Once the Doctor and Donna had been led out of the room Sam turned to Cam.

"Are you sure about this?"

"I've read over many of the old U.N.I.T files and they do mention a Doctor, even the blue box he travels in. Either this guy is on the level or he's doing one hell of an impersonation."

"Well, you're going to be the one to tell the General…"

_____

The Doctor and Donna where placed in an interview room with 2 guards posted outside the doors. Donna took in the grey concrete walls. There was nothing in the room except for a table, a few chairs and a lamp. 'They might as well of put us in a cell.' she thought.

She turned her attention back to the Doctor.

"Doctor? That woman, do you know her?"

"If she is who I think she is, and that's highly unlikely, then yes I do. But it's impossible" he didn't know what to think at the moment, was it possible that another Time Lord had survived? The Master had but he himself had admitted to running from the destruction of Gallifrey.

"Who is she then? I mean, if she is who you think she is."

The doctor ran his hands through his all ready messed up hair but he didn't answer Donna. Realising she wasn't going to get anything more out of him she sat down on one of the chairs and waited.

It was 45 minuets before the door to the room opened and Col. Mitchell, a General, and Martha Jones stepped through. Martha went over and gave Donna a hug hello and then also gave one to the Doctor.

The General cleared his throat. "I'm General Hank Landry this is my facility. After speaking to U.N.I.T and then Dr Jones here we've confirmed you aren't a threat. We had the Daedalus use it's Asgard transporters to bring Dr Jones here."

The doctor beamed at him. "The woman in your infirmary, how did she get here?"

"Ms Mal Doran has been here with us for sometime. What's your interest in her?"

"She looks like someone I used to know, and the TARDIS obviously brought us here for a reason, I'm thinking that it was because of her."

Martha gave him a curious look; could this be another old companion? She had never met anyone else apart from Jack. She looked over at Donna but she simply shrugged her shoulders.

Mitchell turned and looked at the General "Sir, if the Doctor really does know Vala maybe he can help us find out what's going on."

The General nodded in response. "Take the Doctor and Ms Noble back down to the infirmary. I want this whole situation resolved as quickly as possible Colonel."

When they got back to the infirmary the Doctor spoke with Dr Lam and he, Donna and Martha where introduced to the rest of SG1. After hearing about the events of the last few weeks, and days in particular, as well as Dr Lams medical report the Doctor was almost convinced that this woman was who he thought she was.

"So do you know her Doctor? Is she who you thought she was?" Once again the Doctor didn't answer Donna. He drew out his sonic screwdriver and ran it over Vala.

He hummed as he looked at the readings but then his face broke out into the biggest, most honest, smile that Martha or Donna could remember. Despite his happy face Donna was waiting for answers.

"Oi! Space boy, what's going on? Who is Vala to you?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes at his companions' impatience. "Her names not Vala; it's Celesia. She's a Time Lady Donna."

Martha gasped, the last time she had met another Time Lord it had been the Master.

He was not exactly a shining example of the Time Lords, or sanity for that matter. He had taken over the Earth in ruled over it for a year, destroying everything, billions of people had died. Martha had walked the earth for the whole year, telling the story of the Doctor. Eventually they had managed to over throw him and turn time back to before his rule had begun. Only a few people remembered the year that never was.

The 4 members of SG1 looked confused, it was Sam that spoke up, asking the question they were all thinking "What's a Time Lady?"

"She's like me." Was the only answer they got. This did nothing to ease SG1s confusion but both Donna and Martha knew that the Doctor was more than tight lipped, for once, when it came to his own species. "She's my, well the closest word humans have is cousin, she's my older cousin to be more exact, much older. She must have been living as a human. That's what the watch was for; it had her Time Lady essence stored in it, even her DNA sequence, everything she ever was, but why? What's the point? You said she was a host to a Goa'uld, how did that happen?"

"She doesn't know, she couldn't remember anything from before her time as a host…"

Donna interrupted at this point. "Hang on, Host? What are these ghoul things?"

Martha snickered and the Doctor just sighed, one of these days Donna was going to pronounce a species name properly. "It's Goa'uld Donna, goo-a-oo-ld, there a parasite, kind of like a tape worm…"

She interrupted again "A tape worm? That doesn't sound that bad, granddad had one years ago, had to eat a whole raw cabbage to get rid of it."

"These aren't quite like that Donna, for one thing instead of being in the digestive tract they are in your brain. They suppress the hosts mind, forcefully taking control of the body. She doesn't remember _anything_?"

"Doctor, shouldn't the watch have given her memories though? Like it did with you when we were hiding in 1913? It created a whole past for you."

"Something might have gone wrong, in fact something definitely did, and it could be that with out a TARDIS to fabricate a past for her the Chameleon Arch couldn't complete the process."

"Chameleon Arch?" That was Daniel.

"It's what allows the Time Lord, or Lady, to be stored in the watch. It rewrites Time Lord DNA into human DNA."

"She said she could remember a war" the Doctor paled significantly at Daniels words "Then she was falling, the next thing she said she remembered was becoming a host."

"She was on Gallifrey when the last battle started, I thought she burned when the planet did, there was no reason to think otherwise, no one else survived, they all died." The Doctors voice was almost a whisper as he finished speaking. He looked up, the sadness and guilt once again being buirred deep inside, his voice regaining it's usual flair. "Could be she fell through a rip in time. There where plenty of them opening up, fall through one of those and there's no telling where or when you'll end up. I guess we'll just have to wait for her to wake up before we get anymore answers."

"Well I guess I woke up right on time Theta." It seemed that her sudden transformation back into a Time Lady had not effected Vala/Celesia's perfect dramatic timing.

A/N 2: Celesia IS a character from DW and she is the Doctors cousin. She's on the list of members of the Doctors house but I couldn't find any other reference to her apart from her being there when he was loomed, so I thought Perfect!

For those that don't watch DW Theta is the name the Doctor was called by when he was younger, but it's not his real name.


	9. Finally

A/N: ok so everyone up on what's going on? Good. Here's the next bit, sorry for the wait. The super bowl was last night (what a game!) and then there was snow today and I was out tonight so didn't get to start writing till about…11:30pm?

Any questions about the DW stuff let me know.

I can promise there wont be any more sleeping Vala (she had been doing a lot of it now I come to think about it), she's going to be awake for the rest of the fic :-P

Thanks for the reviews, let me know what you think of this. For everyone who can guess correctly where the Drop Bears originally come from I'll give you an extra D/V moment in the next chapter.

None of it's mine except the plot.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­***

"Celesia." The Doctor beamed.

"Vala!" Daniel cried, relief that she had finally woken up clear on his face.

The two names where called out at once and she didn't know who to look at first. Her two sets of memories, one Time Lord and the other Human, where still warring with each other. Both of the men who had called her held a special place in her hearts but this was not why she didn't know who to look to first. She didn't know because she didn't know which one had called her true name.

Could she still claim to be the Celesia that Theta had known so long ago? It had been over 4 thousand years since she had heard that name, but was it still hers?

But was she Vala anymore? Who was Vala now? Even when she _had_ been Vala she didn't know who that truly was. She had hidden behind a fake wall for so many years she had ended up with no way to know.

Who was she? The person she was born as or the one she had created?

The choice was taken from her as Daniel came and sat beside her, taking her small hand in his. She sighed as she felt him squeeze her hand, ­_'are you ok?'_, she squeezed it back, _'I'm fine Darling just don't let go'_.

Everyone else sensed that they both needed a moment and averted there eyes as Daniel swept her hair out of her face letting his hand trail slightly over her face.

The last few days had left Vala raw, exposed and confused. Daniel wasn't in a much better state. As they looked into each others eyes they made a silent pledge '_We will get through this, together.'_

The tender moment was shattered as the Doctor coughed, loudly.

"Celesia, what?… why?… how? Is that really you?" Even though he was 99% sure, there was still one little spec of doubt. He had to hear it come from her own mouth.

"_It's me Theta_" The thought arriving in his head felt strange after so long in silence but at the same time warm and comforting, like coming home out of the snow to a warm fire.

The Doctor didn't know if she knew about what had happened, her friends had said that she remembered the war, but how much of it? Did she know the others where gone?

"_It's ok, I know it all. We are all that's left"_

She gently cradled her hand to his cheek "My dear sweet boy, what has the world done to you."

"I killed them all" It was no more than a whisper.

"I know theta; you did what you had to do." His gaze didn't leave the floor "Theta; Look. At. Me. You did what you where _meant_ to do."

His eyes snapped up at that. "What do you mean meant to do?" realisation flashed through his eyes. "You knew didn't you? DIDN'T YOU! You knew what was going to happen and you never stopped it"

They glared at each other, the rest of the people in the room forgotten.

She looked straight into his eyes and told him the truth. "Yes, I knew. I looked into the timelines and I saw what would become of our people and how it would come to pass. But I also saw why it had to happen, why it was the only thing that could happen. I saw past our own demise and…" she closed her eyes and a small smile graced her lips "It was wonderful."

The doctor snorted "So what? This was the plan then? Hide out as a human until it was all over?" The disgust was clear on his face "I thought I was meant to be the screw up in the family"

"Don't use that tone with me boy, I was never meant to survive, neither was Koschei. It was only ever meant to be you."

"Why me?"

"You where different from the rest of us Theta, you left and went out among the stars. Even from the time you were loomed Quencessetianobayolocaturgrathadadeyyilungbarrowmas knew you would be special, he just didn't know how much. You survived because you where the only one who could go on to become something new, that is why Romana chose you; you where the risk we all took. It was our time to end, and the time for a new beginning. Gallifrey for Skaro. The Time Lords for the Daleks. The old for the new."

"That's not the answer to the question I asked!" It was clear the Celesia's time as Vala had not changed her ability to talk in circles and riddles. "Tell me why I survived?"

"You have to find the Child of the Vortex." She answered simply this time.

"The what? There's no such thing, you're making that up."

"Would I ever do that to you boy?" There was grin in her eye that was 100% Vala. She threw a wink at Daniel.

"Yes; you told me that there where Drop Bears in the forest and gave me that ridiculous hat to ware telling me it would stop them from landing on my head and killing me!"

The noise of suppressed sniggers from Martha and Donna broke the tension in the room. After a few seconds Martha, Donna, Vala/Celesia nad the rest of SG1 where laughing at the look of shock on the Doctors face.

Donna had thought it was going to be fun hearing about the Doctors childhood from Celesia, she never expected for him to be tricked into telling embarrassing stories about himself.

She liked Celesia already.

When the laughter had died down Vala sighed and looked back at the Doctor. "The Child of the Vortex was what I saw, a new way to control and alter time, an anthropomorphic personification of the Vortex itself. You where meant to find it… her. She was you're… reward I guess. You're salvation and the reason for your suffering all rolled into one."

Vala sighed again and rubbed her temples. The overload of information to her head today was giving her a headache. "Can we continue this later Theta? I feel like a super nova has just gone off inside my head."

The Doctor nodded "I'll be in the TARDIS, there's some repairs I have to make." He stalked off with a look in his Celesia had never seen before. The TARDIS, still in the corner of the room, muttered a mental apology to Celesia as the Doctor slammed the door shut.

The others said goodnight as well, Sam and Cam offering to show Martha and Donna to the temporary quarters that had been set up for them. Eventually only Vala and Daniel where left. He was still sitting on the bed next to her, still holding her hand.

They sat and talked for hours that night. Vala explained everything she could to him. She told him of the Time Lords and how they had been protectors of time. There long lives and of regeneration.

When she told him about being able to feel the world turn beneath her he asked her how she was able to stay upright, she responded that she didn't know how she hadn't fallen over as a human.

She told him about the watch and how it had been her that had soothed his nightmares as a child; that it was her world he had walked on in his dreams.

Eventually they got to talking about how she had survived and she admitted that she wasn't 100% sure herself.

"I was watching everything going to hell round me. I could hear the screaming of the battle TARDISs as they died in my head. Feel the Time Lords presence fading from my mind one by one. Then there was this pain… physical pain not mental. Someone had come up behind me, and used the Chameleon Arch on me. I didn't fall into that

Time Rip Daniel, I was pushed."

"Do you know who did it?"

She shook her head no then leaned it against his shoulder.

"I don't know what to do Daniel. I thought I was lost before, that regaining my memories would make things so much simpler. Instead they've just got worse. I was…am… a Time Lady… the things I've done as Vala, well even you thought them dreadful and you're human."

She rubbed her eyes, she was so tired.

"I was a teacher you know. I had never even left Gallifrey when… well you know. My brother Arkhew was the one who was always out there. He would make me these marbles when he came back that where fashioned after the planets he had visited. I had thousands of them. He would say that one day I would have them all, but never have seen any of them." Daniel smiled at the warm look in her eyes as she talked about her brother; it was a relief after the emptiness that had been there for what now seemed like forever.

"What do I do now my Daniel, how do I go on when I can't go back? I don't think I can be Celesia anymore but I don't know who Vala ever really was." She sniffed; she was fed up of crying recently, she needed to have more control than that. "Everything's changed."

He leaned his head on top of hers and whispered "I'm still here." She smiled gently and he continued. "You'll do what you always do; you'll survive, adapt, and change. Maybe you can't be who you where before but you can become someone new." He felt her nod under him and, convinced he had at least reassured her for now, changed the subject.

"Vala… what exactly is a Drop Bear…?"


	10. Forging

A/N here's the next part. Let me know what you think.

Disclaimer; unfortunately none of these characters are mine.

­________

Donna Noble was lost. She had left her room and was intending to go back to the infirmary, where the TARDIS was, but all the corridors in this place looked the same. She had been looking for almost 20 minuets and was just about to swallow her pride and ask for directions when she spotted the large Jaffa she was introduced to the night before walking towards her.

He stopped in front of her. Yesterday she had heard Celesia refer to him as muscles and she could definitely understand why; the man was a walking wall.

"Are you lost Donna Noble?"

She looked up at him. "Yeah, little bit, this place all looks the same to me. I'm trying to get back to the TARDIS, any chance of some help?"

Teal'c bowed his head slightly "I shall escort you." He turned and headed in the direction of the infirmary.

As they walked Donna decided to do a little finding out about Celesia. "Have you known her long?" she asked with no preamble.

Teal'c didn't look at her. "I have known Vala Mal Doran many years."

Donna nodded and then, after a few seconds silence, "What's she like? I mean if she's anything like the Doctor then…"

"Vala Mal Doran has proved herself to be a very loyal friend many times. I know of no one with her spirit or courage."

Donna had been with the Doctor for nearly 6 months, she had forgotten that not everyone was as chatty as him. "What about her and Dr Jackson? Are they… you know… together? They looked pretty close last night and if a man ever looked at me the way was looking at her I would be a happy woman."

"Daniel Jackson and Vala Mal Doran share a special bond." That seemed to be all he had to say on the subject.

Donna was prevented from asking any more questions by there arrival in the infirmary. The TARDIS was still sitting in the corner, but Celesia was no place in sight. "Looks like your friends gone" she commented to Teal'c.

Teal'c just lifted his eye brow at her. "Indeed." With that he bowed his head goodbye and left.

Donna made her way over to the TARDIS and stepped in.

________

After breakfast Vala had convinced Cam to help her escape from the infirmary, claiming there was nothing really wrong with her, she had just severely altered her biology. Cam had been hesitant, he didn't want to suffer the wrath of Carolyn when she found out he had been involved in her escape. Vala had assured him that she would take full responsibility so they had quickly made a dash for it and where currently hiding out in Cams rarely used office.

Vala was hungry. All the infirmary staff had given her for breakfast was a bowl of Corn Flakes, which Vala declared the most tasteless thing she had ever eaten, and a cup of fruit juice. Since she wouldn't shut up about how she was going to starve to death Cam had to let Sam in on the escape so she could bring food from the mess hall.

The three of them now sat in Cams cramped office. Sam and Cam had, over the years, grown use to Vala's large appetite but what the amount she had eaten for breakfast today shocked them. Sam had brought enough food for all three of them; she and Cam had ended up with a slice of toast each while Vala ate the rest.

"It's my Time Lord Physiology." she explained. "I can't help it."

"You're going to eat us out of house and home Princess" Cam joked.

Vala simply shrugged and continued to finish off her plate. Cam and Sam shared a look, they both wanted to talk to Vala about what had happened over the past few days but neither knew how to go about it.

Eventualy Cam bit the bullet. "So, this Doctor is your… cousin?"

Vala sighed, she knew this conversation would happen at some point but had hoped her team mates would have given her a bit more time to adjust "Yes, technically. It's all a little complicated."

Sam was as unsure as Cam about how to talk to Vala; for one thing she didn't know what to call her. She had seen her friends' reaction last night when both the Doctor and Daniel had called names at the same time; she hadn't known which one to respond to. Was she still Vala or, now that she had gotten her memories back, was she Celesia?

Vala seemed to sense her friends' hesitation and, remembering Daniels words from what seemed like so long ago now, decided that talking about things might be the best thing.

"It's ok to still call me Vala Sam." She had noticed how Sam hadn't called her by her name, either of them, since this had all started. "I'm still her, in a way."

Sam smiled and nodded, at least that was one thing sorted out. Cam however didn't seem so sure.

"Are you really? I mean you changed, you've got a whole other life now, family, a past, heck even another name." Cam knew he was being unreasonable but couldn't help himself, this whole situation had thrown him for a loop and he didn't know how to deal with it. At the hurt look on Vala's face he mumbled and apology and quickly left his office, he had thought he was ready to speak to Vala but apparently he needed some more time.

Vala sighed as Cam left. Was this how it was going to be from now on? Everyone walking on egg shells around her not knowing what to say? She looked over at Sam and knew she was as confused as Cam. She had yet to speak properly to Teal'c and after her conversation with Daniel last night she knew he too was unsure about the situation.

She had told Daniel the other day that the price for getting everything you wanted was to lose it, was that what was happening here? She had regained her past but lost her present? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, if her friends here on earth rejected her because of this she didn't think she had the strength to start over again. She had done it before and knew how hard it was.

"Are you ok Samantha?" Her friends had all been so worried about her recently, she knew to it was taking its toll.

"Shouldn't it be me asking you that? I know how hard it is to have two sets of memories in your head at once, after I was a host to Jolinar I felt like I had lived her life. I know it's not exactly the same but I still get it, a bit at least." Sam smiled over at her friend; they had talked a few times about there shared past as hosts even though there experiences had been so different.

"I just don't know what to do Samantha. Everything's been turned upside down."

Sam asked the question that had been on her mind since the Doctor and Vala's relationship had been revelled. "Are you going to leave? Go with the Doctor? He is your family after all."

Vala looked up, she hadn't even thought about leaving Earth yet, when she had heard Sam's question she had thought that she wanted her to go but the look on Sam's face told her that she didn't. "I honestly haven't thought about it. He is family but you are all my family too. I was never one for travelling before but then after Qetesh that was all I did for so long." She thumped her hand off the table causing Sam to jump slightly at the out burst. "How can I have been two so different people! Nothing seems to match up now, Vala loves to go off on adventures but Celesia had never left her home world. Celesia is a teacher but Vala can't read anything that doesn't have big type and pictures. The list goes on and on. There's so little I'm sure of now…"

Sam felt for her friend. A movie and some chocolate weren't going to fix this like it had the other day.

"It was like this after I regenerated for the first time. It seems I've not learned to cope with it any better. Quences had such a time with me, I don't think I came out of my rooms for a month." She laughed at some memory Sam couldn't see. "No matter how much he told me I was still the same person I couldn't reconcile the differences." The smile vanished as she remembered she would never see the man she had loved as a father again.

Sam shuffled over in her seat and gave her friend a hug. No matter how confusing things where for all of them Sam knew it was important for Vala to feel she still had a place among them.

"Have you talked to the Doctor since last night?" Sam asked her after a minuet.

Vala gave a short laugh. "No, he's hiding in his TARDIS, that boy always did have a habit for sulking. I should probably go and find him shouldn't I?" Vala stood up to leave. "Thank you Samantha, you've always been a true friend." She left to go find the doctor.

"You too Vala, you too." Sam replied to the now empty room.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­________

Martha and Donna where sitting in the kitchen drinking tea. They had tried for a while to get the Doctor to go and talk to Celesia but he had been having none of it, insisting on fixing the TARDIS. From the yelps they could hear coming from him occasionally, as the TARDIS sent a spark his way, they guessed the TARDIS wanted him to go too.

Martha had filled Donna in on the year that never was and the fate of the Master. Deciding that to understand, then fix, what was going on with the Doctor Donna had to know what had happened last time he had found another Time Lord.

"But she's not an evil psychopath is she? At least I didn't get that impression from her, and her friends here seem to think pretty well of her even that Jaffa bloke."

"The Master didn't either when he was human but I think you're right. They acted like brother and sister." she paused and laughed "The Doctors big sister, oh this is going to be good."

"They said they where cousins, I suppose you're right though, she did act like he was her annoying little brother." Martha just laughed more at that statement "What?"

"Donna _you_ act like the Doctor is your annoying little brother. You and her are going to get on like a house on fire I can tell that much. But this isn't helping us get him out there to talk to her."

Just as Martha said this they heard the door to the TARDIS bang shut quickly followed by Celesia giving the Doctor an ear full. The words couldn't quite be heard but the tone was definitely clear. The two companions strained to hear but couldn't, even so every so often they would give a wince as a particularly loud word could be heard.

Donna huffed "Wouldn't matter if we could hear them properly anyway, it's not like the TARDIS is translating." The TARDIS gave a hum in response, obviously what ever the two in the control room where talking about was not for their ears.

It was an hour and a half later when they heard the door close again. They gave the Doctor 5 more minuets then went to find him.

He was sitting in the captains' chair with a small smile on his face. It seemed that whatever had happened, while it may not have been particularly pretty, had at least shifted him out of his funk and cleared the air between him and Celesia some what.

"Doctor? Is everything ok?" Donna asked.

He grinned at her "You know what Donna; I think it might just be getting there."

________

After leaving the TARDIS Vala went in search Cam, he had done so much for her in the past few days she knew she owed it to him to go and find him.

When she did find him he was on the surface sitting at the top of the small mountain the base was under. He was throwing stones at a small rabbit hole. She sat down next to him and joined in his game.

After a few minuets he turned his head to her. "I'm sorry 'bout earlier. It's just… you're like a sister to me. A rather annoying sister but still…" He picked up another stone and threw it.

"Cameron I'll always be you're rather annoying sister."

They sat together for a while longer just throwing stones. When it was time to go for dinner Cam stood up and offered his hands to Vala, pulling her up off the dirt. As they made there way back down the mountain Vala gave him a shove causing him to stumble and fall on his ass. She laughed and took off running, Cam hot on her heals.

When they got to the check point Cam had Vala thrown over one of his shoulders and was refusing to put her down. He carried her like that all the way down to the mess before dumping her at the table that Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were sitting at.

The five team members sat and ate dinner, the conversation flowing freely.

For the first time in over a week things felt like they might some day get back to normal.


	11. Feelings

A/N Well we're nearly at the end now, only a few more chapters to go. This was really hard to write and I'm not sure I like how it's come out. But if I sat and fiddled with it, it would never be just as I wanted it so I'm putting it up and you can let me know what you think.

Anyone who can spot the Farscape reference gets a gold star.

Mikta is the Jaffa word for Bum.

Disclaimer: sadly I don't own them but fortunately the shows are written much better than I ever could do it.

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Teal'c was meditating in his quarters. Even though he no longer needed to meditate to survive he found that he still enjoyed the quiet time it afforded him to think. His room was lit only by dozens of candles, giving it a warm glow. When the nock on the door interrupted his concentration he didn't get up to answer it instead simply calling "Enter" to who ever was on the other side.

The door opened and shut quickly and Teal'c heard footsteps then the sound of someone sitting down opposite him. He didn't need to open his eyes to know it was Vala, she often came and joined him when he was meditating, usually it would be when she couldn't sleep or simply wanted some quiet time with nothing to distract her. Teal'c thought that maybe tonight it was a bit of both.

Neither of them spoke for a while, both enjoying the silence. However when Teal'c heard Vala sigh for the third time he spoke. "Are you having trouble with your meditation my friend?"

"You could say that muscles, I seem to be having trouble clearing my mind, there is an awful lot going on in it at the moment."

Teal'c still hadn't opened his eyes but he knew she was fiddling with her hair.

"Perhaps talking would be beneficial." Teal'c and Vala had often talked after their meditation about what drove her to Teal'c. Over the years he had probably come to know more about her past than any of the other members of SG1. Vala knew she could tell Teal'c of some of the more desperate things she had done to survive without the judgment she would receive from her other team mates. He had, after all, done some unspeakable things himself as First Prime to Apophis.

"It's Daniel" At this Teal'c did open his eyes, it was there unspoken rule that her and Daniels relationship was not to be talked about, she wouldn't mention it and he wouldn't ask. Those where the rules. "He's being so… nice, sweet, understanding." At Teal'c raised eyebrow she continued. "I don't want to be seen by him as something he has to try and fix! As much as I hate to say it I want _MY_ Daniel back, snide comments and arguing with me toe to toe. Not this man that is willing to let me have 'space' to think about things and who looks at me with those eyes…"

As Vala drifted off Teal'c realised the problem his friend was having. Everything in her word could change and on some level it would be ok because Daniel would stay the same. Now that he had changed also she couldn't cope.

"Have you talked to Daniel Jackson about this?" She looked over, and up, at him with worried blue eyes. "My friend, I have no doubt that this issue will resolve itself if you explained yourself to Daniel Jackson." He paused for a moment to let his advice sink in then added "Fully explain yourself."

Vala sighed and stood up, bowing her head in respect to Teal'c. She knew he was right. She and Daniel had been dancing around what ever it was for years and she had finally had enough. As she left she called over her shoulder to Teal'c.

"You're a real pain in my mikta my friend!" Teal'c smiled to himself and returned to his meditation, he had lived through 50 years of Daniel and Vala on the Odyssey and knew what was coming.

____________

When she found Daniel he was in his office trying to translate an Ancient text.

"Daniel? Can I talk to you for a minuet?" She was trying to be nice, she knew this conversation would, at some point, become a shouting match and wanted to start off on a good footing.

"Give me a minuet Vala. I need to get this translation done." He hadn't even looked up from the books in front of him.

After 5 minuets Vala tried again. "Daniel please, it's important."

"Just hang on Vala, this is important too."

Vala huffed and walking over to his desk grabbed the text out from under his nose. She scanned it for a few seconds then took up his pen and wrote out the translation for the rest of the text. It turned out to be nothing of great importance unless you desperately needed a recipe for some kind of Ancient vegetable soup.

Daniels jaw looked like it was going to hit the floor. Vala gently placed two fingers under his chin and closed his mouth for him.

"That's better darling, now I really needed to talk to you about something important."

"You're going with the Doctor aren't you? That's what the two of you where talking about yesterday when you where in the blue box of his." There was sadness to Daniels voice when he was talking about her leaving. How could she just leave after everything they had done for her? Didn't they mean anything to her? Didn't he?

"What? Where did you hear that from?" Vala was confused; this was not the direction she expected the conversation to go in.

"It's ok, you know. If you want to go with him, I wouldn't say no if you did." He didn't want her to go but if it was what she wanted, needed, then he wouldn't stand in her way.

Vala's confusion turned to indignation in a heart beat, or beats as the case may be. "Well thank you darling but I wasn't aware I needed your permission."

"No, Vala, I didn't mean it like that, of course you don't need my permission. I just meant that if you wanted to go I wouldn't stand in your way."

Vala's face fell a little at his statement. "Do you want me to go Daniel?" the question was asked in such a soft voice laced with hurt.

"You have no reason to stay for me; maybe it would give you a chance to reconnect with the Doctor if you did." It was killing him to say this to her. He wanted to scream at her that he didn't want her to go, that it would kill the part of him that she had reawakened.

"That wasn't what I asked you Daniel, do you want me to go?"

But could he tell her the truth? After all their years of playing games and dancing around each other Daniel had gotten used to neither of them being completely honest about the way they felt, he didn't know if he could admit the truth to her.

When he didn't answer her Vala took that as a yes. She turned to leave. She had every intention of coming down here and hashing the whole thing out with him. Daniel thinking she was going to leave and being ok with it was not what she expected.

She closed her eyes and allowed her Time Lord senses to guide her back to her quarters. It wasn't until she had shut the door that she opened them and let the tears fall.

Daniel had seen the tears form in her eyes just before she sprinted out the door. He sighed and hung his head. How had he managed to screw up so badly so quickly? When he looked up he saw Teal'c standing in the doorway.

"I know, I know, I'll go after her." Daniel made his way out past his friend and down the hall towards Vala's quarters. When he got there he didn't bother knocking but simply used his swipe card to let himself in.

"I meant what I said when I first got here Daniel, I wont stay where I'm not wanted." She looked him dead in the eye "I'll leave if that's what you want."

"What do _you_ want?"

Vala snapped. "I want you to tell me you want me to stay."

The words hung between them in the air. The tension in the room so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Daniel walked over to her and placed both his hands on her face, raising it from its gaze on the floor.

"I. Want. You. To. Stay." As he said it he swept the tears away from under her eyes with his thumbs then lent down and placed a soft, chaste, kiss to her lips.

She sighed and leaned her forehead against his. "_My Daniel." _ The words where spoken like a benediction.

"None of this matters. I… I love you. Not Vala, not Celesia, You. Whoever that may be. Stay with me." His voice never raised above a whisper the whole time he spoke.

It was as if by speaking any louder the spell they where under would end, and the real world would come crashing back. The world where he was human and she was now a Time Lady, where he would grow old and she would stay young, where it wasn't as simple and everything else did matter.

But for the moment they could pretend.


	12. Fate

AN: O.k. so this is the end (there's an epilogue at the end too) Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, you really gave me a confidence boost, I'm eternally grateful to you all.

There will be some other stories set in this little world I have created, both DW and SG1. I'm not quite done with it yet. But this story is over.

There is a lake on Gallifrey called Abydos; when I found that out I just had to use it.

Once again thanks to the people who took the time to read this. Let me know what you think of the ending.

____________

They stayed on Vala's bed that night, simply holding each other.

While Daniel slept Vala was content to be held in his arms. There had to be a way for this to work out. Surly she had lost enough both as Celesia and Vala that the universe owed her something in return? She spent the whole night thinking about a way to keep both all of herself and keep Daniel also.

She knew that one way or another she would lose him someday; either by time or fate.

Vala was so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn't feel Daniel wake up behind her.

"Did you go to sleep at all?" he asked her, his voice rough from sleep.

"I don't need to sleep like you do darling, besides I had quite a nice view for the night." She rolled over in his arms and stared into his clear blue eyes. Daniel looked like he was going to say something but Vala cut him off. "I'm hungry." She stated simply.

Daniel laughed and kissed her on the temple before rolling off the bed and looking for his shoes. After he had asked her to stay with him last night neither of them had spoken, they had simply lay down on top of the bed holding onto each other as if this would be there only chance.

They made there way to the mess and found the rest of SG1 eating breakfast with the Doctor and his two companions. They seemed to be swapping stories. Vala groaned at the thought, wasn't it her that was supposed to torment the Doctor with stories from his past?

When they had collected there breakfast and sat down at the table Sam was in the middle of telling the story about the time the team had been sent back to 1969. The Doctor, Donna and the rest of SG1 where laughing but for some reason Martha didn't seem to be finding it as funny as them.

Donna looked over at where Vala and Daniel had just sat down, then over to Teal'c. She raised her eyebrow at him and he did the same back, she grinned. Then turning to look properly at Vala said "You must have some pretty good tales from when he was young."

The grin that appeared on Vala's face and the groan that the Doctor let out had Donna and Martha waiting eagerly.

"Well… there was the time when he was only in his 60s and…"

The doctor knew what she was going to say and interrupted her while he would still be able to look his companions in the eye. "Don't you dare Celesia! If you tell them about that then I'm going to tell SG1 here what happened to you at Lake Abydos with the singing fish!"

That shut Vala up pretty quickly, she glared at the Doctor and huffed. "Fine then, I shall just have to tell them that you never actually passed your test to be able to fly a TARDIS" she stuck her tongue out at him.

"HA! I knew you didn't know how to fly her properly." Martha told him, a grin on her face.

The Doctor tried to cover his blush and tried to take the attention off of him. "Isn't it about time you where getting back to U.N.I.T. Martha? There must be lots for you to do."

"Spoil sport" she said to him "I'm going back this afternoon; the Daedalus is going to send me before it leaves for Atlantis but I'm going back to Cardiff, not straight to U.N.I.T. to see Jack for a bit."

As the talk between the two companions turned to leaving and what they where going to do next Vala got up and left the table. At Daniels questioning look she shook her head that he shouldn't follow.

The TARDIS wanted to talk to her. Apparently she had found a solution to Vala's problem.

____________

Vala looked at the devise in front of her.

"I'll have to talk to them about it first; I'll have to talk to _him_ about it first."

"_You could have it all." _The TARDIS answered.

"But what if it's not what he wants? And what about the Doctor? It would be like abandoning him. He needs guidance if he is going to find The Child of the Vortex."

The TARDIS gave a sigh that was akin to a mother dealing with a tiresome child. _"He already did, but he lost her again. She is as lost as you where, but she will come back to him eventually. You need not worry, I know how to deal with my Time Lord"_

Vala chuckled, the TARDIS had always been able to manipulate Theta into doing her work. She looked back down at the table. "Are you sure about this?"

"_Positive…" _

"Ok then. But only once I've talked to them, clear?"

The TARDIS hummed in response but didn't say anything.

­____________

"You're mad!" the Doctor exclaimed when she told them all her plan. He was the only one to remark on it as everyone else hadn't understood it. "You want to induce a Human-Time Lord metacrises! That could easily kill you and I think one identity crises is enough for one week don't you? You know you don't handle regeneration well."

"Well some of us don't have as much practice at it as you do!" Vala shouted back at him "And it wouldn't be a full metacrises, the Chameleon Arch would store my Time Lord DNA and information while allowing me to keep my memories. The TARDIS wouldn't have told me about this if she wasn't sure!"

"The TARDIS can be an interfering old bat when she wants to be, it doesn't mean she's right."

"Excese me" General Landry interrupted "But would one of you like to explain what you are talking about."

"I want to be human again General but keep my Time Lord memories. The TARDIS has built a device that will allow me to do that and to return to being a Time Lord when I choose to."

"And you, Doctor, think that this is dangerous?" He questioned.

"Yup" he responded, popping the 'p' "Could all go horribly wrong and she'll burn her brain up and regenerate."

"You don't know that Theta!" Vala shouted across the room at him.

The General rubbed his temple; it was like dealing with 2 children. He was glad that Carolyn had been an only child. "Vala, if you really want to do this then I can't stop you. You have my permission to go ahead."

"Well she doesn't have mine and it's my stuff she wants to use." The Doctor grumbled like a petulant child. Donna and Martha smiled at his tone of voice; they knew it was the one he used when he didn't get his own way.

The General continued as if he hadn't spoken. "Get it set up, use what ever you need off the base. You can do this Vala but I want you to do it as safely as possible."

"Yes General, thank you."

"O.k., everyone get to it, you're dismissed."

When the briefing room had emptied only Vala and Daniel where left.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked her, coming over to stand in front of the chair she was sitting in.

"This is the one thing I have always been sure about my Daniel, you are my one constant. I want to be with you." He nodded in reply and lent down placing a kiss to the forehead.

"Lets go do this then." He took her hand and led her out of the room towards the infirmary and the future.

­____________

"AAAAAARRRRGH!" Vala screamed. This hurt more than she remembered.

The others stared on in horror as Vala screamed in pain, only Martha had seen the Chameleon Arch work before.

Then it was over and she collapsed onto her knees.

It was Daniel who rushed to her side and helped her up. Doctor took the device from her head.

She beamed back up him, a full 100 watt grin. "Ask me my Daniel, ask me again."

"Stay with me Vala?"

"Forever."

He lent down and, right in the middle of the TARDIS in front of everyone, kissed her properly for the first time.

­____________

**EPILOUGE **

In the end they had stayed together for almost 70 years. Vala never regretted a day of it except maybe the last.

Daniel died in his sleep next to his wife. He was the last of SG1 and there old friends to go. General Landry, Samantha, Jack, Cameron, even Teal'c and Carolyn had all been dead for many years.

When she stood at his grave side surrounded by her children, grand children and even some great grand children she knew it was finally time.

That night she said goodbye to her family. They had known that when there father died there mother would go too. There love for each other had been so great that to live without the other was unbearable.

Daniel and Vala had been bound together since before they had ever met. Working towards each other their whole lives and now it was over.

Vala sat in her living room and waited as the TARDIS materialised. She played with the watch in her hands as the Doctor and Rose came out.

"I'm so sorry Vala" Rose said and hugged her tightly.

When she let her go Vala took a step back. Her bag was packed and everything she had wanted from the house she had shared with her husband was in it.

"Goodbye my Daniel" She whispered.

Vala opened the watch.

This time the Golden light that engulfed her was more like a raging fire. It shot out of her in all directions. She was regenerating.

When it ended Vala was gone and Celesia stood in her place.

Vala had belonged to Daniel and had died with him.

They had got their forever.


End file.
